All Steel's Story

On Solid Ground: All Steel Structures

OAM's exclusive with Ted Bratsos, President of All Steel Structures, inc. It has been reported that a large majority of college graduates will not end up working in the field in which they earned their degree. Ted Bratsos, founder of All Steel Structures, is one of them. While his business and marketing major certainly comes in handy in the out of home industry, Bratsos didn’t anticipate working in the billboard business. But perhaps he could have if he had only looked to his childhood: “When I was a child, I played with erector sets and put stuff together. It was rewarding. Now, I do the same thing, I work with giant erector sets, I get to use big equipment, cranes, backhoes and drill rigs!” Bratsos continued, “Now, I’m doing everything I ever wanted to do when I was a boy!” Founded in 1987, Bratsos’ company, All Steel Structures, Inc. has a reputation for putting its experience, skilled crews, and cutting-edge technology to use delivering projects on time and under budget. “When bidding jobs, I’m always asked what sets us apart from other sign companies. I try to let our track record and our customers speak for us,” said Bratsos. “[I’ve] known Ted for approximately 2 decades now, and have worked with him to construct well over 150 new signs, and maybe an equal number of removals, emergency maintenance problems and sign re-constructions,” said Dave O. Williams of CBS Outdoor. “I consider All Steel to be the best sign fabricator in the business, [and] can vouch for their honesty, safe - on-time performance, all of it done at the best possible price.... [I] cannot think of another organization I could recommend higher than All Steel.” “One of the things that I like about the outdoor advertising business is that it is filled with doers,” said Bratsos, who might as well be speaking about himself. Bratsos got his start in the outdoor industry in 1980. “I was fresh out of college and looking for a job,” he said. “A friend of mine was working for a company manufacturing signs and suggested that I work there while looking for a job using my degree in marketing and business.” Before he knew it, five years had passed. At one point, Bratsos tried to leave the industry, but he didn’t stay away long. He immediately began receiving calls from former customers looking for his help. While they knew he was out of the industry, they still wanted him to ensure their signs were built correctly, safe and up to code. He couldn’t say no. So he spent an entire year overseeing sign construction projects, eventually getting back into the business full time. “I felt that there were a limited number of companies doing quality work...I saw the need to bring quality sign manufacturing and installation to people out there,” said Bratsos. And with that in mind he founded All Steel Structures. All Steel Structures, designs, manufactures, and installs quality steel billboard structures including roof mounts, wall mounts and both multiple and single pole, self-supporting signs. Bratsos said that being centrally located right outside of Chicago allows All Steel to easily ship structures and send field crews throughout the country; while keeping transportation costs to a minimum. “Our team includes certified welders as well as industry specialists in, fabrication, billboard structure design and installation,” he said. All Steel’s turnkey manufacturing facility integrates Engineering Design, C.A.D., CNC, High Tonnage Lifting Equipment, and All Steel’s high quality two-step painting process, to assure quick turn-around, smooth delivery and proper project completion, while reducing waste, inefficiency and cost. Bratsos noted that his field crews have the experience and the expertise to handle any portion of a customer’s on-site needs including welding, digital installation, structural upgrades, and foundation work, in fact Bratsos said “No job is too small or too tall, from fire escape repairs to the installation of three structures over 200 feet!” When asked about green initiatives, Bratsos said All Steel Structures and the steel industry in general has always been ahead of the curve. “We’ve been recycling long before it was popular,” said Bratsos. “Extra materials are sorted in scrap bins and are sold to scrapers who recycle everything they can.” All Steel Structures also has experience in the wind energy field, which has been helpful during the economic downturn. “We have been marketing our experience in erecting billboards (single pole structures) to the wind tower industry (that also uses single pole structures) it’s been a perfect transference of our skills. We recently completed a foundation for an individual tower, which will be approximately 50 meters tall. And we have also secured a contract to install a 450kw tower in early spring. We are awaiting the Nacelle and blades to be ready for delivery,” he said. We’re excited to get started on several other similar types of projects in the works.” When asked about new projects and innovations, Bratsos noted a great many projects on the table. In particular, a fairly recent innovation, the exclusive Titan Flex System, which has set the standard for permanent panel-less vinyl installations. This advanced design is available for new projects as well as upgrading existing signs. When asked what makes his company different from others on the scene Bratsos said, “The workmanship.” He continued, “The workmanship has a direct relationship to the people you hire. People make our company-not automated machines.”This article can be found in the March/April 2010 issue of Outdoor Avertising MagazineVolume 19 Issue 2